The Aryavarth Express
Agency (Amritsar): The revered Harmandir Sahib, popularly known as the Golden Temple, in Amritsar witnessed a remarkable gathering of devotees on Tuesday as they flocked to the iconic Sikh shrine to celebrate the Gurpurab of Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth Sikh Guru.
Starting early in the morning, devotees immersed themselves in the serene waters of the holy sarovar (pond), listening to the melodious hymns of Gurbani. After paying their respects at the sanctum sanctorum, devotees expressed their reverence for Guru Arjan Dev by bowing in humility.
Rajwinder Singh, who traveled from Gurdaspur in Punjab to offer his prayers, said, “Today is the Gurupurab of Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji, I wish everyone a very happy Gurupurab. Guru Arjun Dev was the first martyr of Sikhs, and he has sacrificed a lot for the Sikhs. A lot of people yesterday, as well as today, came here to offer prayers on the occasion of Gurupurab.”
The foundation of Sikhism, based upon equality and “seva” (selfless service), was laid down by Guru Nanak, but it was later solidified by his three successors. To put it on a firm foundation, Guru Arjan set out to build the Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) at the exact location where his father had built the clay tank of “Amrit” and also established the town of Amritsar around it.
Tolerance and equality are at the heart of the Sikh religion. It was in this spirit of “I am neither Hindu nor Muslim” that Guru Arjan invited Mian Mir, a Muslim saint from Lahore, to formally lay the foundation stone of the Harmandir Sahib. According to Khalsa Vox, it was intended to be the tallest structure at the time by the Sikh Sangats (congregations).
Guru Arjan Dev was born on April 15, 1563, in Goindwal Sahib. He was the youngest of three children, with his older brothers being Prithi Chand and Mahadev. Despite Mahadev’s disinterest in worldly vices, his oldest brother, Prithi Chand, considered himself a strong contender for the ‘Guru Gaddi’ (Guruship) and rebelled after their father nominated Guru Arjan as the fifth Guru on September 16, 1581, when he was only 18 years old.
